The pop trio enchanted the Legacy for their second live in Taiwan.
Kalafina is a group founded in 2007 by composer Yuki Kajiura, who is famous for her work on many anime original soundtracks. It is a young band but on December 17, 2010, they held their second live in Taipei. It was a very cold night, but that did not seem to discourage Kalafina's fans from waiting in front of the Legacy a few hours before the show. The queue was impressive to see, particularly as there wasn't much media coverage publicizing the event beforehand. The doors opened later than expected, but the organization ended up being hyper effective and everyone managed to enter the venue before the performance started.
The audience was already in high spirits when the lights faded out, paving the way for Keiko, Wakana and Hikaru to arrive on stage. They wore the same red outfits from their second studio album cover, Red Moon, and this track was the first song performed. The girls' singing created a peculiar ambiance imbued with solemnity.
Vocally, the girls were amazing and managed to raise goosebumps during storia and lacrimosa; Yami No Uta was stunning as they displayed their harmonized voices. It was definitely a huge change from the nasal voices many Japanese female vocalists have. The play of lights was remarkably beautiful and, combined with the scenery unfolding on the back screen, added to the quality of their overall performance. It might have been even better if there were real musicians playing on stage, but the pre-recorded backing track did not detract from the performance.
However, the most surprising thing during this concert was the way Kalafina communicated with the fans. They were very spontaneous and friendly, talking about food, joking with the audience and conducting an impromptu survey to see who was a first-timer at a Kalafina live. It seemed that this spontaneity won over the crowd, and everyone was in a great mood as the girls began Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta, a surprisingly rock track which displayed the girls' impressive and almost breathtaking vocal range. The audience grew more excited and the girls loosened up more, especially Keiko who played with the curtains and came closer to the crowd during Ongaku.
Full of energy after the acclaimed Hikari no Senritsu, the fans immediately demanded an encore after the girls left the stage. A few minutes later, swapping their red dresses for black skirts and the tour's official T-shirts, Kalafina came back to the stage. They received a rousing round of applause from the audience and during the last MC, Hikaru couldn't help herself and began crying. Keiko also became teary and hid from the crowd. Though the end was near, their last song - I have a dream, a soft emotional ballad - lifted everyone's spirits. It was a good way to bring the concert to a close. The three ladies of Kalafina then bowed and went to each corner of the stage to thank the audience again before finally taking their leave.
Kalafina is still a young group, but they were pleasant to see on stage, not only for their vocal performances but also for the genuine connection they displayed to their fans. It was a shame they performed with pre-recorded tapes, as live musicians would have improved the performance quality even more. However, it was a pleasure to see a show where the singers were obviously so happy to be there. If Kalafina happened to hold a live in America again or in Europe - and yes, they would like to come to Europe! - don't be put off by the "anime" tag attached to them, or you would be letting something very good pass you by.
Set list
01. red moon
02. Te to Te to Me to Me
03. fantasia
04. Haru wa Ougon no Yume no Naka
05. Hoshi no Utai
06. Yami no Uta
07. Natsu no Ringo
08. fairytale
09. ARIA
10. progressive
11. Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa
12. storia
13. Lacrimosa
14. Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta
15. Kyrie
16. Ongaku
17. Hikari no Senritsu
EN01. love come down
EN02. sprinter
EN03. I have a dream
